Golden Boy Award 2024: The African Players Ranked in the Top 100 List for the Prestigious Award

• The 100-man shortlist for the Golden Boy Award has been released
• Barcelona's Lamine Yamal leads the lot to succeed Jude Bellingham
• There are nine African players in contention for the coveted award

The race to dethrone Jude Bellingham as the Golden Boy for the year 2024 has already begun with players below the age of 21 across Europe exhibiting enormous potential in their respective leagues.

In recent times, Lamine Yamal of Barcelona and Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo have hogged the headlines for all the right reasons. Paul Cubarsi became the youngest defender to play in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final while featuring for Barcelona against PSG.

Meanwhile, Gavi, who came close to winning the award last year is still in the running for the coveted gong.

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Last week, the Golden Boy Football Benchmark Index value was released with the top 100 candidates for the award named on the official website.

Sports Brief looks at the African players in contention for the award and their ranking.

Illias Akhomach - Morocco

The 20-year-old Moroccan forward is ranked 20th on the latest list. Akhomach has been a sensation for Villareal this season in La Liga and the Copa del Rey. At just 20, Akhomach has made over 30 appearances for the club this season, per Transfermarkt.

Yankuba Minteh - Gambia

Signed for Newcastle United at the beginning of the season but was sent on loan at Feyenoord, where he has been the star of the Dutch club. Minteh has scored ten goals across all competitions with 13 contributions in the Eredivisie. The Gambian is ranked 21st.

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Bilal El Khannous - Morocco

The Genk forward is the second Moroccan on the list. El Khannous' performances have seen him earn a Moroccan national team invite. The 25th-ranked player has made 9 goal contributions in the Belgium league this season.

El Hadji Malick Diouf - Senegal

The Senegalese left-back, ranked 28th, is one of the fastest-rising left-backs on the continent following a decent run of performances for Czech outfit Slavia Praha. He is already attracting interest from some major European league clubs.

Ibrahim Osman - Ghana

The Ghanaian teen sensation is Brighton-bound after signing a deal to join the English club in the summer transfer window. Osman made his Ghana debut in March in the friendlies against Nigeria and Uganda and has been a key player for FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark. Osman is ranked 41st on the latest list.

Karim Konate - Ivory Coast

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Dubbed the next Didier Drogba, the teen sensation is already on the list of top European clubs including Inter Milan, Tottenham and Chelsea. Konate was part of the Ivorian team that won the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in February. The 42nd-ranked player has been in red-hot form for Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian.

Carlos Baleba - Cameroon

Osman will be Baleba's newest teammate at Brighton in the summer. The Cameroonian midfielder is enjoying a breakthrough campaign in the Premier League under Roberto de Zerbi. The 53rd-ranked player has made 33 appearances for the Seagulls this season.

Christopher Baah Bonsu - Ghana

The highly-rated Ghanaian winger is making the list for the second year running. Baah Bonsu first appeared on the list while playing for Sarpsborg in Norway. He moved to KRC Genk in Belgium last season, and he is enjoying an outstanding first year in the league. Baah Bonsu is ranked 60th.

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Noah Sadiki - DR Congo

The Congolese defender has been a stalwart for Union Saint-Gilloise this season. Of all the African players on the list, Sadiki has made the most appearances, featuring in over 40 games for Saint-Gilloise across all competitions this season. Despite his performances, he is ranked 63rd.

Osman agrees to join Brighton

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Ghanaian youngster Ibrahim Osman has agreed to join Brighton from FC Nordsjaelland in the summer transfer window.

The teen sensation has been in top form for Danish club FC Nordsjaelland in the Superliga.

Osman was handed his Ghana debut in March after making a cameo appearance against Nigeria.